14 DAY TRIAL // Ever since he tried to ban ex-wife Kate Gosselin and television network TLC from making what was once the successful reality series “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” Mr. Gosselin has been banned from speaking to the media about it.
In December last year, TLC put a gag order on Jon, preventing him from speaking to the media until the matter was resolved – or face the consequences.
For some reason or another, Jon has broken his long period of silence on his Twitter, saying that he’s still opposed to the idea of having his kids in a reality show.
This has nothing to do with Kate moving on with the show without him, he says – but everything to do with knowing that this kind of exposure is not good for his 8 children.
“I stated years ago, and on television, that I no longer wanted to film and wanted my privacy back. This is not a decision I made lightly or without weighing all the factors involved,” Jon says.
No money can compensate the disadvantages life on a reality show has, he goes on to explain. The very fact that his kids (aged 6 and 10) have to deal with the paparazzi should speak volumes in terms of how inappropriate the reality show is.
Moreover, he argues, all his 8 children are well aware that they’re different from their peers in schools and that’s solely because of the reality show – and Kate’s obstinacy in going through with it for more episodes.
“Whether the children want to film or not is completely irrelevant. Children rely on the guidance of the adults in their life to ensure their best interest. Left to their own most children would not eat properly, visit the dentist, or complete their homework,” Jon says.
“Do you think a child would choose a day on the beach instead of attending school? Of course. Is this the best thing for them? Is it the child’s decision to make? Of course not,” he explains.
In the same statement, Jon admits to making mistakes – and claims to have learned from them a lot, including how to be a better parent. As such, he wants his kids off TV.
“I am acutely aware of the mistakes I made in 2009 and I am ashamed of the choices I made. I have apologized to Kate, my family, and to my friends,” he says.
“Through counseling I have learned to own my actions. My goal is to move forward in a positive direction,” Mr. Gosselin adds.
While Jon insists that his children need privacy and a shot at a normal life like the rest of the kids out there, he doesn’t say whether he plans to do anything in terms of blocking Kate from doing the new reality show, “Kate Plus 8.”
As of now, neither ex Kate nor TLC has responded in any way to Jon’s long Twitter statement.